Development, Reliability, and Validity of the Japanese Short Version of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale for Adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the short Japanese version of Children’s Anxiety Scale (Short-CAS), which was developed based on the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS). Two hundred students (95 boys and 105 girls; mean age＝14.01, SD＝0.87) and their parents completed a questionnaire including the scales of anxiety, depression, temperament, and test anxiety. A factor analysis supported single factor structure of the scale. Item Response Theory (IRT) revealed that the Short-CAS have stable and accurate measurements for examinees with high anxiety symptoms. Anxiety symptoms assessed by the scale were significantly correlated with depressive mood, avoidance temperament, and test anxiety. Furthermore, the score of the Short CAS were related with parents-rated scores of depressive mood and test anxiety. Finally, clinical applicability of the Short-CAS was discussed.